Combination container opener



Sept. 18, 1951 E. E. CULLEN 2,568,612

COMBINATION CONTAINER OPENER Filed Jan. 31, 1948 INVENTOR. ERNEST E. CULLE/V Y AGENT Patented Sept. 18) 1951 COMBINATION CONTAINER OPENER Ernest E. :Cullen, San Diego, Calif., assignor of one-half to June: St. Claire. Gregg, Laguna, and one-fourth to Richard J. Wood, San Diego,

Calif.

Application January 31, 1948, Serial No. 5,559

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a combination container opener, more particularly for use in, performing the great variety of operations in opening various containers, and the objects of my invention are: v

First, to provide a container opener of this class having a hook adapted to engage a can rim adjacent to a perforating blade connected to a handle which provides a stop against the opposite edge of the can rim when the perforating blade is projected into the can;

Second, to provide a combination container opener of this class in which the can rim zengaging portion may be engaged with the top of the can rim and the perforating blade adjacent thereto may be used to perforate the side of the can adjacent the rim in opposed relationship to the perforation of the endof the can so that all of the liquid contents of the can may be readily removed;

Third, to provide a combination container opener of this class having means in connection therewith for readily opening screw cap enclosures from various containers;

Fourth, to provide a combination container opener of this class having a novel milk can perforator provided with the parallel guide engageable with the outer side of th can for insuring perforation of the can adjacent to the outer edge thereof so that all of the contents may be drained therefrom;

Fifth, to provide a combination container opener of this class which is readily adapted to remov crimp cap enclosures from various bottles such as soft drink bottles or the like;

Sixth, to provide a combinationcontainer opener of this class having a screw driver and knife edge portion for performing various operations including the removal of plastic covers from liquor bottles or the like;

Seventh, to provide a. combination container opener of this class having an opening therein consisting of two arcuate portions, the axes of which are spaced on a common center line providing an oblong opening having middle portions closer together than the diameter of the arcuate portions for positively engaging opposite edges of the conventional crimp cap enclosure whereby the same may be readily and easily removed -by a simple lever action, and

Eighth, to provid a combination container opener of this class which is very simple and economical in construction, eflicient in operation and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will b hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my combination container opener shown in operating position illustrating by dash lines a can. being periorated thereby; Fig. 2 is a edge view of :my combination container opener shown in operating, position illustrating by dash lines the neck of a bottle having a crimp cap removed therefrom by my combination container opener; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken from the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary edge elevational viev. of my combination container opener shown in the operation of perforating anmilk can and the like illustrated by dash lines; Fig. 5 is. an end view of the perforating blad sheath of my combination container opener; Fig. 6 is a side elevational view thereof and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary viewsimilar to Fig. 1 showing the main perforator blade perforating the side of the can substantially to the perforating operation as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing being performed in the end of the can. 7

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawing.

My combination container opener is formed of a plate I having oilset formed edge portions la. substantially surrounding the same for added strength and stifiness.

In one end of my container opener I have pro-- vided an opening lb for engagement of conventional crimp caps such as those found on soft drink bottles. This opening, lb consists of twoarcuate cut-out portions, lb having their axes spaced on a common center line providing in,- wardly extending lips ld closer together than the diameter of the arcuate cut-out portion of lo. These lips ld are engageable with opposite edges of the. conventional crimp cap as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the crimp cap being illustrated by dash lines a and removable from the bottle. neck illustrated by dash lines. B. In addition to the opening lb I have provided a perforating blade le which is formed of corrugated portions If for broadening the opening cut by the blade le. Adjacent to the blade le is a hook lg engageable with the rims of a conventional can either at the outer side or at the topfor perforating the top or the outer side respectively as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings. noted thatwhen theperforating operationon the end of the can is being performed as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the rearwardly extending portion lh forming the handle of the container opener engages the rim of the can diametrically opposed to the hook lg for limiting the perforating operation of the blade I e in the end of the It will be here can as illustrated by dash lines in Fig. l of the.

portion Im is provided with buttress teeth In which provide frictional engagement for the screw cap d. In the opposite end of my combination container opener from the opening I1 I have provided a milk can perforating spike Ip having a sharp pointed end, the axis of this spike I p is parallel and spaced from the plane of the plate I which extends slightly beyond the pointed end I V of the spike Ip and terminates in a screw driver portion Iq which is sharpened at its one edge IT or the cutting of plastic seals on liquor bottles or the like. For the perforating blade Ie I have provided a hollow sheath Is which substantially conforms to the configuration of the blade Ie and covers the same for preventing persons from becoming injured on the pointed end of said blade Ie.

The operation of my combination container opener is substantially as follows:

When it is desired to remove a crimp cup illustrated-by dash lines a in Fig. 2 of the drawing from a bottle neck illustrated .by dash line b the lip Id is placed under the lower edge of the cap a at one side thereof, while the lip Id adjacent to the end of the plate I is placed under the edge of the crimp cap at the lower side thereof while the opposite lip Id is placed over the upper side of the crimp cap A in diametrical opposition so that the crimp cap a may be readily pried from the bottle neck b. When it is desired 1 to perforate the end of the can C as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing the hook" Ig is engaged with the rim of the can at its end at the outer side thereof. Then the perforating blade Ie is forced downwardly through the top of the can or the end thereof by pressure on the handle portion Ih until that portion I h engages the rim of the can as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing limiting the downward perforating operation. 'When it is desired to drain all of the contents from the can a second perforation may be made adjacent to the first perforation and this second perforation may be made in the side of the can as shown by dash lines 0 in Fig. 7 of-the drawing so that the hook portion Iy may be engaged at the rim of the can adjacent to the end thereof and the perforating blade Ie may be forced into the side of the can so thattwo perforations may be extended into close proximity with the rim of the can for draining all of the contents out of the interior of the can at one end thereof.

In the removal of screw caps from bottles or the like the screw cap D as indicated by dash lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing is forced into the converging portions I70 and Im and is frictionally engaged by the buttress teeth In on the converging portion Im. It will be noted that the counter rotation of the cap D may be accomplished by turning the plate I over or inverting the same as desired in accordance with the. direction required to tighten Or remove the screwcap D.

The milk can perforating spike Ir is used in space parallel relationship to the screw driver portion ,I q which forms a spacing fence for the spike Ir so that the hole formeclin the top of the milk can is properly positioned adjacent to theouter perimeter rim of the can so that milk may be poured therefrom and substantially removed from the can without undue loss therein. It will be here noted that the fence Iq steadies the operation of the spike Ir'and permits the operator to conditionally guide the spike I r due to the projection of the screw driver portion Iq beyond the end of the spike IT as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing. This screw driver portion IT acting as a spike for perforating milk cans may be employed for making small holes in other cans as desired and the'screw driver portion Iq operating as a fence for the spike Ir may also be employed as a knife for the removal of plastic seals on liquor bottles or'the like by using the sharp portionIr for cutting. The sheath Is is made of any suitable material as desired, preferably soft plastic or the like and is positioned over the perforating blade Ie when not in use for'the protection of the operator when using other elements of my combination container opener.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is;

1. In a combination container openerof the class described, a plate having a hook portion adapted to engage the rim of a tin can container, a corrugated perforating blade adjacent to-said hook adapted to be projected into said tin' can container, a portion of said plate engageable with said container for limiting the corrugated perforating penetration of said perforating blade.

2. In a combination container opener of the class described, a plate having a'hook portion adapted to engage the'rim of a tin can container, a corrugated perforating blade adjacent to said hook adapted to be proje'cted into said tin can container, a portion of said plate engageable with said container for limiting the perforating penetration of said perforating blade, said hookportion being adapted to engage the rim of the can at the side or the top thereof for perforating the topor the side of the can adjacent to said rim respectively.

3. In a combination container opener of the class described, a plate having a hook portion adapted to engage the rim of a tin can container, a=corrugated perforating blade adjacent to said hook adapted to be projected into said tin can' container, a portion of said plate engageable with said container for limiting the perforating penetration of said perforating blade, the longitudinal disposition of the corrugatedportion of said blade extending toward the point thereof. 1

ERNEST E. CULLEN.

REFERENCES-CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,230,376 Cullen 1 Feb. 4, 1941 

